This Vietnamese scientist was elected to the senior member class of the American Academy of Inventors (NAI) in 2024.

From the microneedle patch that can deliver vaccines into the body without needing multiple injections to the biodegradable ultrasound device that helps deliver drugs to the brain, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duc Thanh's research contributes to the process of opening up new approaches in medicine. The Vietnamese scientist has attracted tens of millions of dollars in funding and is named in the Academy of American Inventors.

Physics students become international biomedical researchers

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Duc Thanh was born in 1984 in Da Nang. Before becoming known in the international biomedical research community, he was a Physics student (A2) at Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted, Da Nang, then studied in the talented engineer program in Physics at Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

In 2007, he graduated from university. A year later, he received a scholarship from the Vietnam - America Education Foundation (VEF) and went to the US to study for a doctorate at Princeton University. In 2013, he completed his doctoral thesis, then continued his postdoctoral research program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Nguyen Duc Thanh's academic path had a notable transition: from a mechanical and aerospace engineering background to the field of biomedical technology. In 2016, he joined the University of Connecticut (UConn), working in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. By 2022, he will be appointed Associate Professor.

Here, he built his own laboratory, gathering researchers pursuing research directions at the intersection of biomedicine, biomaterials, micro- and nanotechnology. His team focuses on solving major problems in medicine, aiming for treatments that have a direct impact on human health.

Innovations make the world pay attention

One of the notable works of Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Duc Thanh is a biodegradable microneedle patch, capable of delivering drugs and vaccines into the body at pre-programmed intervals.

The patch is just the size of a thumb, and the surface contains hundreds of microneedles as small as hair roots. The microneedles are made from materials similar to biodegradable threads, containing drugs or vaccines that are slowly released after contact with the body.

A notable point of this technology is the ability to deliver multiple vaccines or drugs into the body through a single patch, instead of having to be injected multiple times. The thickness and thinness of the absorbable microneedles can be designed to control the timing of the release of the active ingredient.

According to the group's research, this technology has the potential to simplify vaccination, especially in remote areas, where people have difficulty accessing medical facilities or have difficulty remembering booster vaccination schedules. Reducing reliance on cold storage also has implications for vaccine transportation and distribution in areas where storage conditions are limited.

Another direction of his research involves biological scaffolding systems that support bone regeneration. With serious injuries to long bones such as the femur and tibia, the body's self-healing ability may not be enough to repair the damage. Associate Professor Thanh's team developed a scaffold made of safe biological materials, capable of generating electrical impulses to stimulate the bone healing process.

In the field of brain cancer treatment, he also researches biodegradable ultrasound devices. The device is designed to be implanted in the brain, emitting ultrasound waves to help deliver chemotherapy drugs to cancer cells. After completing its task, the device can self-decompose in the body, limiting the need for surgical intervention to remove it.

These works show that Associate Professor Thanh's research direction focuses on developing biomedical materials and devices that can perform treatment tasks, then self-decompose or support the body's recovery.

Brings $25 million in research funding to the University of Connecticut

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duc Thanh's research has received attention from many scientific organizations and funding funds in the US.

According to public information as of October 2024, the research team led by him was granted 4 R01 grants by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) with a total value of more than 9.5 million USD. This is one of NIH's highly competitive research funding programs, for projects aimed at improving health, extending life expectancy and reducing disease and disability.

Of these grants, 2.1 million USD is for research to promote the healing process of long bone injuries and 1.5 million USD for a microneedle technology project. A $2.16 million grant is earmarked for research into improving the effectiveness of chemotherapy in brain cancer patients through biodegradable ultrasound technology.

At the same time, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also approved two grants with a total value of 6.6 million USD for his team, to develop a microneedle patch capable of delivering many types of vaccines into the body.

Thus, two sources of funding from NIH and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation alone have reached a total of 16.1 million USD. Notably, the University of Connecticut said the total value of research funding that Associate Professor Thanh has brought to the school since joining in 2016 has reached 25 million USD.

On the homepage, the University of Connecticut once posted an article titled "Nguyen, a biomedical engineering star", recognizing him as one of the researchers receiving the most funding at the school. This is recognition for the contributions of Vietnamese scientists in research and development of biomedical projects.

Honored among American inventors

Research achievements have brought Nguyen Duc Thanh to many international awards and recognition. In 2017, he received the NIH's pioneering young researcher award. In 2018, he was honored by the Society of American Manufacturers (SME) in the group of 18 outstanding young manufacturing engineers. The same year, he reached the Top 10 inventors under 35 years old in the Asia-Pacific region voted by MIT.

In 2019, he was named in the list of 10 typical young Vietnamese faces. In 2023, he was voted Outstanding Young Professor by the Journal of Biomaterials.

In 2024, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Duc Thanh was elected to the class of senior members of the Academy of American Inventors (NAI). This is an organization that recognizes inventors who have made outstanding contributions through inventions and research activities.

(According to Uconn, Medicalxpress... / Photo: Internet)